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A. A. CONWAY Jan. 5, 1932. FRICTION CLUTCH 'Re. 18,317 7 Original Filed April 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l l -p. I i l W M W A. A. CONWAY FRICTION cmn'cfl Re. 18,317 2 Shats-Shet 2 Jan. 5, 1932.

Original Filed April7, 1926 gwuzntoz ALFRED l Cauw attoz way 4 Reissued Jan. 5, 1932 ALFRED A. CONWAY, on CINCINNATI, OHIO FRICTION CLUTCH Original No. 1,745,079, dated January 28, 1930, Serial No. 100,419, filed Apri1 7, 1926.

reissue filed February 18,

This invention relates to improvements in friction clutches.

An object of my invention is to provide a device wherein centrifugal force assists in re- 5 leasing the clutch.

1 tained.

6-6 of Fig.

= Fig. 4 is These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a clutch of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of'Fig. 1. V

a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line The device of my invention comprises a hub or carrier 10 secured to a revoluble shaft 11 by means of a set screw 12 and key 13. The

hub 10 may be secured to the shaft 11 in any other manner. The hub 10 is provided with a lugs 16 to which any conventional actuating bearing 14 upon which a collar 15 may be slidably actuated. The shifting ring 150, seated for free relative movement in a suitable groove in the collar 15 is provided with device may be secured. The collar 15 is pro- "vided with spaced lugs 17 between which are revolubly mounted rollers 18 which Contact pawls 19. The pawls 19 are pivotally mountthe forward end of thehub 10.

The hub 10 is provided with an enlarged portion or collar 22 having screw threads 23 formed thereon. Asplit nut 24 shown in Fig.

' 5 is threadedly secured on the collar 22. The

r the lug 26 formed on the nut 24 ad acent the nut 24 may be adjusted longitudinallyof the collar 22 and locked in adjustedposition by means of a cap screw extendmgthrough split 27 therein. The threaded portion 28 1930. Serial No. 429,434.

of the cap s'crew'25 extends into a threaded bore 29 formed in the nut 24 in alignment with the perforation formed in the lug 26. The forward end 30 of the nut 24 contacts the outer friction disk 31 of a plurality of disks placed intermediate the shoulders 32, formed on the pawls 19, and the nut 24. It should be noted'that the carrier member 10 is provided with a peripheral groove in which a bumper ring 61 is secured. The bumper ring is'used to: stop the outward throw of the pawls19 to prevent said pawls from striking and damaging the threads of the nut24.

Intermediate the shoulders 32 of the pawls 19 and the nut 24 are a series of friction disks 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38. The disks 31,

34, 36 and 38 are of a-material having a high the driven member 39 retained in position by a collar 40 or the like,the driven member having formed thereon a sleeve 41 upon which may be secured a pulley, gear, sprocket, etc., not shown in the drawing. The driven member 39 is provided with an annular ring 42 connected with the sleeve 41 by means of arms 43 having their opposite ends integral with the flange 44 which extends from the sleeve 41 and the ring 42. The annular ring 42 extends beyond the innermost friction disk 31 as shown in Fig. 1. The annular ring 42 is provided on its inner face with a plurality of keys 45 which seat in'keys ways; 46 formed at intervals around the circumferential edge of the disks '33, 35 and 37. It is therefore'evident that rotationof the disks 33, 35 and 37 will cause a rotation of the driven member 39 and sleeve 41.

The hub 10 is provided with a plurality of keys 47 intermediatethecollar 22 andthe lugs 21. The keys 47 are received inkeyv ways formed in the inner bore of the disks 31, 34, 36, and 38. It should be noted that rotation or movement of the hub 10 causes a similar rotation or movement of the friction ing the power from the driven member 39.

disks 31, 34, 36 and 38.

The friction disks 38 and 31 are provided with ears or lugs 48 and 49 extending interiorly from thebore thereof. The ears 4:8 and 49 are provided with aligned perforations 50 and 51. A guide post 52 is secured at '53 in the perforation 50 formed in the ear 48. The

other end of the post 52 is slidably actuated through the perforation 51*formed inthe car 49. An expansion spring 54 is mounted about the guide post 52 and has its opposite ends in abutment uponthe ears -48 and {19 yieldably tending to separate the friction disks one from the other.

The 'hub10 isprovidedwithways 55 in which ,the p'awls 19 are positioned. The

pawls'19t-are'provided with" a cam face or shoulder 32 atwone end and a tapered or inclined'faicafifi'a-ttlieir opposite ends. It

shouldzbe noted that with this structure the pawlsare concealed from viewand are act-uatedwithin the body lines ofthe'carrier member. 10; This structureinsures safetywhen thistype offriction? clutch is employed and requires-a-minimum-of space. i

e The operation-of my device is as follows: Power-is aspplied tothe shaftll causingsame to be rotated whereby the hub 10 is also r0 tatedthrouglrthe-setscrew 12 and key 13. The collar 15is-now slidably actuated toe ward-the driven member whereby the rollers 18 carried by the collar 15 contact'the inclined faeesbfiof the-.pawls 19-thereby rotatably actuating thepawls about their pivots 20. The actuation of the paw-ls 19 'about'their pivots causes the cam faces or shoulders 32 thereof to compress the friction rings and clamp 'same'lbetween" the shoulders and the innerffaee 3O 0f,;the= nut24w Thefriction disks- 31,34, 36; an'dq38'are actuated-by the hub 10 through thewkeys 47. The frictional contactbetween'jthe disks 31, 34:, 36 and 38 and the frictiomdi'sks 33,- and 37 causes the actuationorgrotation of said friction disks thereby rotating the driven memben-through the -keys Y =formed thereon, whereby -motion or power may be transmitted-to apulley or thelike' that may besecured-to the sleeve 4 of thedriven member 39. 7

I a When ibis desired to'stop the driven mem: ber 39-the col-lar 15' is shifted to the right,

see Fig. 1,,. to the position shown in dotted lines'wherebyr the rollers 18 are free of the pawlsl ga i p 1 Upon the -withdrawal of the collar. 15 the continued F rotation of" the hub 10, through centrifugalfor'ce, throws' the outer ends-57 Y 'ofvthepawls 1 9awa-y' from their centers about the pivotsQQ whereby the cam faces or shoulders'32 are: freed "from" the'disk 38. When the contact is broken'betw'eenthe cam-f faces ea s ot-1am a2 and the 'disk '3'8the springs saseparaee the-frietion disks, breaking the driving connectionb'etween them, and remov- The wear that may develop between the disks may be taken up by tightening the adjusting nut 24. It should be noted that I have provided a recess interiorly of the nut 24, adjacent the bearing face 30 thereof,

which enables the nut to clear the keys 47 secured in the hub 10. What I claim is:

1; A clutch comprising a hollow driven member, a driving member having a recess extending longitudinally thereof and received in the hollow in thedriven member, complementary normally disengaged means carried by the driving member and driven member within the hollow of the driven member for transmitting motion when clamped upon one another from the drive to the driven member,a paw-lzhaving along and a short arm pivotally carried by the driving member, the pawl :being" pivoted at the junction of the arms and having the longer iarm disposed within the'recess in the driving member, and

"the short arm disposed on oneside of the means upon one another between the-short arm of the pawl and the abutment.

2.,A: clutch comprising a recessed transmission member, a second transmission memberrha-ving a recessed fportion projecting into the recess in the first member, a pawl'within the recess-rin'sthewseeond mentioned member,

said-pawlcomprising a pair of divergent arms and havingat'the junction of said arms aplvotal mounting on the second mentioned member, one arm ofsaid pawl extending rad ally from'the recess in the secondmentioned memberinto the recessin-the first mentloned memberan actuatingmember, the second arm ofthe pawlhaving' a-free end,

member for moving the pawl about itspivotal mounting, an abutment membercarried by-the second mentioned transmission memberand disposed'adjacent thefree end of adapted for engagementwith the actuating 77-35 the: second pawl arm, and complementary 1'37 friction rings 'carried by both transmission members. and (disposed between the abutment and the; radi'allyextending arm of the pawl, said rings; disposed radially; outward from ariniof the pawl adapted to clamp the friction rings; against the: abutment, upon movement of: the free end offthewsecond pawl arm radiallywinward;

said pawl, azndthesaid? radially extending aera e-- friction clutch the combination '7 with a recessed clutch member of a unitary complementary clutch assembly for insertion in and removal from said recess in the first mentioned member, the unitary clutch as sembly comprising a hub, a pawl having a pivotal mounting on the hub, the pawl com} prising long and short arms, the pivotal mounting being disposed within the recess of the first member, and at the junction of the long and short arms of the pawl, the arms of the pawl each having a free end, an abutment member carried by the hub, friction rings between the free end of the short arm of the pawl and the abutment, the several rings having connection with the recessed clutch member and the unitary clutch assembly whereby motion may be transmitted between the recessed clutch member and the unitary clutch assembly when the rings are clamped together, and means for actuating the free end of the long pawl arm centerward for clamping the friction rings between the short arm of the pawl and the abutment.

4. In a friction clutch the combination with a recessed clutch member of a unitary complementary clutch assembly for insertionin and removal from said recess in the first mentloned member, the unitary clutch assembly comprising a hub, a pawl having a pivotal mounting on the hub, the pawl comprising long and short arms, the pivotal mounting being disposed within the recess of the first member, and at the junction of the long and short arms of the pawl, the arms i if of the pawl each having a free end, an abutment member carried by the hub and adjustable longitudinally of the hub, friction rings between the free end of the short arm of the pawl and the abutment, the several ringshavi. ing connection with the recessed clutch memher and the unitary clutch assembly whereby motion may be transmitted between the recessed clutch member and the unitary clutch" assembly when the rings are clamped together, and means for actuating the free end of the long pawl arm centerward for clamping the friction rings between the short arm of the pawl and the abutment.

5. In a friction clutch the combination of an external and an internal clutch member, friction means of which one or more have driving connection with the external member and the remainder of which have drii ing connection with the internal member LT whereby motion may be transmitted between the members by clamping the friction means together, an abutment on the internal member at one side ofthe friction means and against which the friction means may be clamped, a pawl pivoted on the internal member and comprising a long and a short arm, the short arm positioned for contact with friction means on the internal member, and means for actuating the long arm radially centerward for clamping the friction means between the abutment and the short arm of the pawl.

6. In a friction clutch the combination of an external and an internal clutch member, friction means of which one or more have driving connection with the external member and the remainder of which have driving connection with the internal member whereby motion may be transmitted between the members by clamping the friction means together, an abutment on the internal member at one side of the friction means and against which the friction means may be clamped, and adjustable toward and away from said friction means, a pawl pivoted on the internal member and com-prising a long and a short arm, the short arm positioned for contact with friction means on the internal member, and means for actuating the long arm radially centerwardfor clamping the friction means between the abutment and the short arm of the pawl.

7. In a friction clutch the combination of an external and an internal clutch member, friction means encircling the internal memher, one or more of said friction means having driving connection with the external member and the remainder of which have driving connection with the internal member whereby motion may be transmitted between the members by clamping the friction means together, an abutment on the internal member at one side of the friction means and against which the friction means may be clamped, a pawl pivoted on the internal member and comprising a long and a short arm, the short arm positioned for contact with friction means on the internal member, and means for actuating the long arm radially centerward for clamping the friction means between the abutment and the short arm of the pawl.

8. In a friction clutch the combination of an external and an internal clutch member, friction means encircling the internal member, one or more of said friction means havmember and-the remainder of which have driving connection with the internal member whereby motion may be transmitted between the members by clamping the friction means together, an abutment on the internal memher at one side of the friction means and against which the friction means may he clamped, and adjustable toward and away from said friction means, a pawl pivoted on the internal member and comprising a long and a short arm, the short arm positioned for contact with friction means on the internal member, and means for actuatingthe long arm radially centerwa-rd for clamping the friction means between the abutment and the short arm of the pawl.

Signed at Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, this 17th day of February, 1930.

ALFRED A. CONWAY. 

